The Arizona Fall League for top prospects is headed toward its championship game on Sunday and the Salt River Rafters, which includes Pirates prospects, are in the running. They’re currently in a third-place tie with the Peoria Javelinas, and the two teams play each other tomorrow in their final regular season game. The winner will play Scottsdale in a play-in game for the right to play the Surprise Saguaros for the championship.
The Pirates’ top performers in Arizona have been pitcher J.C. Flowers, who is 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA, and outfielder Jase Bowen, who is hitting .295 and leads the Rafters in both home runs, with four, and RBIs, with 17.
Former Pirates pitcher Steven Brault has retired. Brault spent parts of six injury-plagued seasons with the Bucs, from 2016 to ’21, compiling a 12-17 record with a 4.77 ERA. He made nine appearances with the Cubs in 2022 and played last season in the Atlantic League as an outfielder for the Spire City Ghost Hounds. He was one of Major League Baseball’s best-hitting pitchers before the designated hitter became MLB-wide in 2022.
Brault announced his retirement in an Instagram quote, writing, “To the fans of everywhere I played, from Aberdeen to Chicago, (and especially my unofficial official hometown, Pittsburgh) thank you for supporting me throughout this journey!”
Comments